Unorthodox Inuit Art in Winnipeg

Nicole Camphaug, “The Barree," 2016

photo by Justin Wonnacott, courtesy Axe Néo-7 in Gatineau, Que.

The sexy bra and panties crafted by Nunavut artist Nala Peter would have been perfect for a young Brigitte Bardot, France’s most celebrated sex kitten, except for one thing: The ironic unmentionables are made of sealskin and the movie star turned animal rights activist only gets intimate with live baby seals.

Bardot also wouldn’t be caught dead in Nicole Camphaug’s stylish sealskin stilettos, potent examples of the art, craft and fashion being produced these days by a new generation of Inuit artists who are far more political, mischievous and adventurous than their soapstone-carving forebears.

The sealskin fashions and many other examples of unorthodox Inuit art are part of the travelling exhibition Floe Edge: Contemporary Art and Collaborations from Nunavut, on view at Urban Shaman in Winnipeg from Sept. 8 to Oct. 14. The show opened last year at Axe Néo-7, a gallery in Gatineau, Que., near Ottawa, then toured to Canada House in London before landing in Winnipeg. It was curated by Kathleen Nicholls from the Iqaluit-based Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association.

Floe edge refers to the springtime ecosystem, when the dark, open waters of the Arctic Ocean meet chunks, or floes, of frozen sea ice along the shore. The floes move with the tide, melt with changing temperatures and serve as a metaphor for the work of the artists, who often seesaw between creative pursuits and other jobs.

The exhibition includes drawings by two of the Arctic’s most established artists, Shuvinai Ashoona and Tim Pitsiulak. But most of the 19 artists in the show are less known.

The most unforgettable work is Gauge, a multi-channel video created by a team of artists who painted a giant wall of snow along the seashore with a series of evocative dark shapes. The wall appears to rise and then to sink rapidly into the snow through the magic of time-lapse photography and the changing ocean tides.

Mona Nester, “Hunter with Kativak,” no date

photo by Justin Wonnacott, courtesy Axe Néo-7 in Gatineau, Que.

Another stunner is Hunter with Kativak by Mona Nester. The hunter is a yard-high, doll-like sculpture standing atop a white pedestal that resembles a jagged snowy cliff. The hunter’s long hair completely obscures his face. The effect is as haunting as the music of Polaris-Prize-winning Inuit throat-singer Tanya Tagaq.

Mathew Nuqingaq, "Aayuraa (silver snow glasses)," 2016

photo by Justin Wonnacott, courtesy Axe Néo-7 in Gatineau, Que.

Other notable works include sterling silver snow goggles by Mathew Nuqingaq and spectacular landscape photographs by Niore Iqalukjuak.

The exhibition boldly declares that Inuit artists can tackle any media and make it their own. This is a lesson that will be delivered in Winnipeg again next summer when the Winnipeg Art Gallery plays host to the travelling exhibition Sakkijajuk: Art and Craft from Nunatsiavut. This is an exhibition of Indigenous art from Labrador and, like Floe Edge, shatters stereotypes.

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Saskatchewan-born Paul Gessell has worked as a journalist across Canada for The Canadian Press, Maclean’s and The Ottawa Citizen, earning two National Newspaper Awards and other honours. He currently focuses on the collision of art and politics.